[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 140 (Thursday, September 20, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    AMERICAN HERO FINALLY RECOGNIZED

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 20, 2007

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, it's never too late to say thank you and 
recognize a hero of our Armed Forces even if it is 62 years later. I 
had the opportunity to do this when I recently met William Oliver 
Sievertson, of Kingwood, Texas.
  Sievertson served in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1945 during World War 
II and fought against the Japanese in the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill in 
Okinawa, Japan. This battle included some of the fiercest fighting of 
the Pacific Theater in which his division, the Sixth Marine Division 
Reinforced, suffered 2,662 casualties.
  According to Mr. James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy in 1945, 
``Units of the division withstood overwhelming artillery and mortar 
barrages, repulsed furious counter-attacks and staunchly pushed over 
the rocky terrain to reduce almost impregnable defenses and captured 
Sugar Loaf Hill.''
  Sievertson was wounded during this battle on May 19, 1945 and 
received the Purple Heart. After recovering in a Navy hospital in Guam, 
he returned to his unit and participated in the occupation of Japan 
after its surrender to the United States.
  Many years later as a civilian, Sievertson learned from the West 
Virginia Veterans of Foreign Wars Newsletter that his division had been 
given a Presidential Unit Citation from President Harry S. Truman. The 
article described how another Marine had served in the same division 
during the same time period and had received the award from his U.S. 
Senator decades later. This inspired Sievertson to contact his 
Congressman to see if he qualified for the award also.
  After some inquires by my staff, we learned that Sievertson did 
indeed qualify for the citation and was long overdue to receive it. 
After 62 years, on August 20, 2007, I had the pleasure of personally 
awarding Mr. Sievertson the Presidential Unit Citation for the Battle 
of Sugar Loaf Hill. Along with his wife Joy Sievertson, their children 
and grandchildren, we held an award ceremony in my district office in 
Humble, Texas, to finally present the award to him.
  Mr. William Sievertson is a shining example of America's Greatest 
Generation. He courageously served his country in a time of World War 
to battle America's enemies abroad. It is my honor to finally give 
recognition to this American patriot for his heroic service to our 
great nation.
  And that's just the way it is.

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